LOCAL football fans didn’t need a phone hacking scandal to advise them the News Of The World was an unsavoury rag.

People power more than 50 years ago forced adverts for the ‘Screws’ to be pulled at Goodison Park – as the following passages from Everton’s official minute books revealed.

Monday October 3, 1960, ADVERTISING: An application for permission to advertise over the Loud Speaker system on behalf of a National Newspaper was deferred for further information.”

At the next meeting, on October 24 1960, it was revealed that the national newspaper in question was the publication which proudly proclaimed “All human life is here.”

NEWS OF THE WORLD: It was agreed to make an arrangement on behalf of the News of the World on Nov. 5th and to ask for a fee of £50.00.”

It was 50 quid the Blues never banked.

On November 7, 1960, the minutes recorded: NEWS OF THE WORLD: It was reported that the News Of The World announcement had been cancelled in view of the bad reception it received at Liverpool. It was agreed to refuse any similar enquiries in future.”

Reds and Blues fans knew what the Screws was all about, long before Rupert Murdoch got his hands on the paper.